There are two open seats on the board this year, in District 2 and District 5. The two candidates for District 2, which covers the east, southeast and near west sides of the city of Willmar, including the downtown district, are incumbent Steve Ahmann and challenger Steve Gardner.
District 5, which covers most of the southern half of Kandiyohi County, has been represented for nearly 25 years by Commissioner Harlan Madsen who, due to a medical issue, decided to pull out of the race in June. Running to replace Madsen are Duane Anderson and John Cunningham.
Each candidate was given the opportunity to send biographical information along with their thoughts on how the county should look at funding upcoming transportation projects to the West Central Tribune. Presently, Kandiyohi County has a .5 percent local option sales tax increase being used to fund four specific road projects. The tax, which was implemented in early 2018, is set to expire in 2022.
District 2 – Steve Ahmann, incumbent
Ahmann has served as an elected official for nearly 20 years, having sat on the Willmar City Council for 16 years, before being elected to his first term on the county board in 2016. He has lived in Willmar for 46 years and was the owner of Ahmann Construction from 1986 to 2017. He and his wife, Heidi, raised three children and have four grandchildren.
Steve Ahmann
When it comes to transportation and infrastructure, Ahmann knows how important a well-maintained road system is for Kandiyohi County.
“Roads and infrastructure maintenance is crucial to our financial stability; safe roads are an investment for our safety and economic stability,” Ahmann said.
He feels the county has been successful in keeping its roads in good condition, thanks to open communication with the county’s 24 townships and good fiscal planning. Maintaining good communication with state legislatures, the Association of Minnesota Counties and the governor will be important to maintain current levels of transportation funding coming from the state to Kandiyohi County, Ahmann said.
Ahmann would only support extending the local option sales tax or implementing a new one if the citizens have the opportunity to vote on the measure.
“We should allow the residents of Kandiyohi County to decide,” Ahmann said.
Other revenue options Ahmann would like to research include a re-evaluation of the county’s wheelage tax and weight limit restrictions or implementing a dedicated street improvement fund, similar to what the city of Willmar has.
“The issue of funding is a constant moving target that deserves constant review by all parties. Let’s hope for low inflation and a steady, strong economy for all,” Ahmann said.
District 2 – Steve Gardner
Gardner has called Willmar home for 38 years and works for Bennett Office Technologies as a managed print specialist. He served on the Willmar City Council for four years and has been on the Willmar Planning Commissioner for almost six years. Other organizations Gardner has been a board member of include the Design Team for Vision 2040 Leadership and the Human Society of Kandiyohi and Meeker Counties.
Steve GardnerSubmitted photo
Gardner and his wife, Kelly, raised one child and have two grandchildren.
Gardner doesn’t support waiting for the state to provide enough funding for the county’s transportation needs and instead wants the county to do what it needs to secure adequate funding on its own.
“Ultimately, good roads are both a public safety and an economic issue, and for the county to sit idly by and wait for the State to act would be a fool’s errand,” Gardner said. “The state has largely abdicated its responsibility to local units of government and their citizens by not providing meaningful additional funding for the maintenance of our roads and bridges.”
Gardner doesn’t want the county to fall behind on its transportation needs. He would be open to discussing extending the sales tax increase for another five years, but only if the funds were used for specific, high-priority projects. Gardner would also support looking at increasing the wheelage tax, but again only for specific projects.
“Our roads and bridges are important conduits to economic growth and stability. If our infrastructure is not maintained and improved, it is much more difficult to get business to locate or expand here, particularly if those businesses have a heavy dependence upon our roads,” Gardner said.
District 5 – Duane Anderson
Anderson is a native of Kandiyohi County and has farmed the family farm near Lake Lillian for over 30 years. He has also served as a supervisor on the East Lake Lillian Township board for 25 years, a board member on the Farmers Coop Elevator Board in Buffalo Lake and a member of the Kandiyohi County Water Planning Task Force.
Duane Anderson
He and his wife, Hope, have three children.
His time on the township board has given Anderson experience with roads and how important they are.
“The maintenance and improvement of our roads and bridges will be a priority issue to me. As a township officer, I learned that roads can fall into disrepair quickly. Regular maintenance is the best and most cost-effective way of keeping the roads in the condition that the citizens have come to expect,” Anderson said.
Anderson said regular maintenance is the best and most cost-effective way to keep the county’s road system in good repair. He wants to keep taxes in check, to help keep business in Kandiyohi County.
“Raising our sales tax may cause shoppers to go to neighboring cities and counties for business,” Anderson said.
Anderson wants to continue to budget for the county’s fixed costs for maintenance and repair of the roads and look for state and federal funding opportunities.
“It is hard to determine what is the best way to raise revenue during these difficult and uncertain times,” Anderson said.
District 5 – John Cunningham
Cunningham is a crop farmer with his brother, sons and a family friend on the family farm near Atwater, and for years was a dairy farmer until 2009. He was a member of the ACGC School Board for almost 15 years, serving as chairman for 11 years. He currently services on the Farm Service Agency County Committee. He and his wife, Laura, raised five children.
John O. Cunningham
Cunningham does support the extension of the transportation local option sales tax if it is needed.
“The local options sales tax provides the county with stability when the state cannot properly fund our county’s needs,” Cunningham said.
Having a well-maintained road system is needed in Kandiyohi County, due to its location in central Minnesota, Cunningham said.
“We need good roads and a strong infrastructure for when people come to our county for shopping, eating and recreation/entertainment activities,” Cunningham said.
